Program for Undergraduate Research Experience: Call for Proposals

Broadening access to, and enhancing, undergraduate research experiences is a central priority in UBC’s new strategic plan (Shaping UBC’s Next Century). UBC committed $1m in strategic funds over 2 years for the Program for Undergraduate Research Experience (PURE). This call for proposals was for innovative pilot projects and is open to faculty, staff and students from both Vancouver and Okanagan campuses.

For the purposes of this funding competition, undergraduate research was defined as “…academic pursuits that provide either a) an academic contribution to an area of research or to a discipline pertinent to one’s field of study or b) a practical application of academic learning, with consequences for society.”

Competition Details

PURE COMPETITION

Faculty, staff and students are invited to submit proposals for innovative projects that will expand access to and/or enhance undergraduate research experiences at UBC. Proposals should demonstrate how the requested funding will be used to support innovative pilot projects and the anticipated outcomes for students.

The principal applicant and confirmed team members, collaborators and partners and a description of the team’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. All applications from teams must have sign-off and approval from sponsoring Dean(s) of a Faculty/ies and/or a member of Executive.

The CVs/resumes of the team members up to a maximum of 5, including the principal applicant and the co-applicant (if applicable).

A description of the project, including goals, objectives and expected outcomes of the proposed project.

The role and involvement of, and/or consultations with, undergraduate students in the project.

If applicable, contributions (cash and/or in kind) from Faculties, departments and other partners.

Plans for sustainability of the pilot project beyond the funding end-date.

Plans for scaling the pilot project to benefit a significant number of students.

Evaluation plan that will be used to determine the project’s success/impact.

eligibility

Faculty, staff and students from both the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses are eligible to apply for PURE. If the Principal Applicant is a student, the application must be supported and signed by a co-applicant who is a faculty member. Undergraduate student participation in pilot projects is essential.

AWARD DETAILS

A total funding envelope of $1 million is available for this competition. Teams may apply for projects between $5,000 up to a maximum of $50,000 for a one-year project and $100,000 for a two-year project.

A strong budget justification is expected to align specific activities with goals and expected outcomes. The PURE review committees will consider each budget item and may recommend funding only some budget items, or reduced terms.

The principal applicants of successful teams will be required to attend a post-award informational workshop with the VP Research & Innovation office.

REVIEW PROCESSES

Multi-disciplinary peer review panels composed of faculty, staff and students, and including external reviewers, at each campus will review the applications. Each campus will develop a ranked list of proposals based on final proposal scores. A cross-campus multi-disciplinary panel will then select proposals for funding.

SUBMISSIONS PROCESSES

The VP Research & Innovation office will hold proposal development information sessions on January 22 (Vancouver Campus) and January 23 (Okanagan Campus).

Notice of Intent to Apply

In order to submit an application to the PURE competition, we required teams to submit a short Notice of Intent (NOI) to apply by February 4. Please note, this deadline has now passed. The NOI is non-competitive and will be used internally to plan review panels. At the NOI stage, it is not necessary to have approval / sign-off from a Dean or Executive, but the NOI list will be shared with appropriate Deans and Executive for informational purposes.

Application Submission

Applications for this funding call must be submitted as a single PDF document (limited to 5 pages free-form, plus the template title page) plus the template budget page (excel form may download directly) plus CVs to the VP Research & Innovation electronic portal by end of day March 4, 2019.

Plans for sustainability and scaling of the project to benefit a significant number of students, particularly under-represented student populations.

The proposal outlines an evaluation plan that identifies outcomes criteria that will be used to assess the project’s success/impact.

Where feasible, the project demonstrates cash/in-kind commitments from partners.

The proposal outlines the research mentorship/teaching that will be offered to undergraduates by faculty, post-doc, and/or graduate students.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The VP Research & Innovation Office will be hosting two information sessions on the current competition. We encourage all groups who are interested in applying for this competition to attend one of these sessions. Details are available at: research.ubc.ca/pure-information-sessions.

FAQs

The definition of undergraduate research is taken from the report of the UBC Vancouver Senate Undergraduate Working Group which is a working group of the Senate Teaching and Learning Committee.

Are Access Studies students eligible to apply even if they’re not registered in a specific Faculty where a Dean can sign approval?

Yes. Please contact the VPRI or appropriate Executive office contact for discussion of the process to follow.

In the event that several Faculties are involved in the project, which Dean should provide approval?

Please obtain approval from all Deans involved.

When is sign-off from a member of executive required?

When the project proposal is primarily affiliated with, or led out of an executive portfolio such as VPRI or VPS, or it is a joint project proposal from a Faculty and an executive portfolio, the principal applicant should obtain sign-off from the appropriate
member of executive.

Are part-time students and international students eligible to apply?

Yes.

Is it possible to apply for an extension to the project?

Yes, no-cost (with no additional funding) extensions may be granted. Extension requests should be submitted to the VPRI office and provide the following information:
- Additional time for completion of the project and expenditure of funds may be requested, up to a maximum of 2 months for one-year projects and 4 months for two-year projects from the original end date of the project.
- Rationale for request and justification for use of any remaining budget.

When will final project reports be due?

All one-year projects must submit final project reports by August 31st, 2020. Two-year projects must submit final project reports by October 31st, 2021.

Yes, provided there is a letter of support from the Head/Director of the unit or Dean of the Faculty as appropriate.

How many team members are allowed as part of the project proposal?

There is no maximum. There may be any number of team members. There are no requirements about faculty:student ratio.

Are all team members required to submit CVs/resumes?

No, up to a maximum of 5 CVs/resumes, including the principal applicant and co-applicant (if applicable) may be attached to the proposal.

Are cash and/or in-kind contributions required for the proposed project?

No. We are not suggesting there is a need for cash/in-kind contributions from external partners. However, where feasible, Faculties/departments should report any cash or in-kind contributions being made to a project.

Are postdoctoral fellows eligible to apply for a pilot project?

Yes. If the term of the PDF appointment is shorter than the length of the pilot project, including a co-applicant to the project team is advised.

Can non-UBC faculty, students or staff be part of the project team?

Yes. However, the Principal Applicant must be a UBC person.

Is there a limit to the number of applications an applicant can submit?

The limit is one application as Principal Applicant. However, there is no limit to the number of proposals a person can be on as a team member.

Are UBC co-op students eligible to participate in projects?

Yes. Please be sure to follow co-op program guidelines (e.g. positions must be posted/advertised). Co-op student salary is considered an eligible PURE expense.